SPENCER, Mass. — For more than a century, monks known as Trappists have brewed and sold what
many beer lovers consider among the best brew in the world.

Eight monasteries — six in Belgium and one each in the Netherlands and Austria — produce the
only beer recognized by the International Trappist Association as authentic Trappist beer.

Yesterday, the 63 brothers of St. Joseph’s Abbey — about an hour’s drive west of Boston — joined
them, selling the first Trappist beer brewed outside Europe.

For nearly 60 years, the monks in Spencer, Mass., had sold jams and jellies to help support
their community. But they were interested in the real family business — beer — because the aging
monastery buildings were getting increasingly expensive to maintain.

Their interest was hardly met with enthusiasm by their exacting Trappist brothers in Europe.

“The original skepticism was because we were outside of Europe ... and Americans,” said the Rev.
Isaac Keeley, a resident of St. Joseph’s for

35 years who directs the brewing.

He and another monk packed up and moved to Belgium in December 2010 to see how their European
brothers brew.

The European Trappists, wanting a beer that wouldn’t damage the brand, eventually agreed to help
the Americans develop a good recipe.

After more than 20 trial batches, the monks in Massachusetts settled on a recipe for what would
become Spencer Trappist Ale, a “refectory ale” of 6.5 percent alcohol. The cloudy, golden beer is
all-American yet rooted in European traditions with sweet, yeasty notes.